Our family comprising of 3 adults and a child<12 plan to visit switzerland by the end of August. Would it be ok if we plan to stay in Lucern for the whole of our stay and make the selected trips from there. We plan to be there for 5nights. our trip includes visit to Mt. pilatus, Titlis, Jungfrau, Montreaux chocolate train. After this we intend to go to austria for a couple of days. Which is the best route. Which Pass should we buy. We will be landing at Zurich from Dubai.
Jaya.

Jayasree hello, perdsonally I think it make sense to stay in one place for such a short trip. However the Jungfrau trip will take you 2 hours just to get to Interlaken plus almost another two hours from Interlaken add another four hours return travel and it makes a long day. As you're planning to visit Pilatus and Titlis, I would consider not going to the Jungfrau. AS well as the time it takes you also have to concider the weather, it may great when you leave Lucerne but not good when you reach Interlaken. I haven't checked the time from Lucerne to Montreux, but again it's a case of how long are you prepared to sit on a train. Have you checked train times etc on the Swiss Rail website www.sbb.ch/en. You might get other ideas for trips, and leave time for a trip on the lake even just Weggis or Vitznau, you could them combine this with trip up Rigi, a very different mountain from either Pilatus or Titlis. The chocolate train is another trip I was disappointed with, it is an all day trip from Montreux, this might be a trip worth doing independently, again the website would show times etc. Another thought have considered staying outside Lucerne, I love Lucerne but equally I like Brunnen at the other end of the lake.
Hope this helps

Sorry Jayasree, you also asked about passes, I'm sorry here you do need the Swiss Rail website to do the maths, check on the price of each trip and then see if it is cost effective to buy passes. If you do you willsave money buying the saver passes and the child will travel free anyway, even up the mountains. My other thought on passes is that they do give you freedom to change your mind during a journey.

dear tipsygus,thanks for reply.Is Brunnen more scenic than lucern?If we make it our base do most of the trains pass throughBrunnen?We are planning to skip one mountain should it be pilates,titlis or jungfrau?instead of taking chocolate train will it be possible to go to the chocolate factory area?I dont want to waste one whole day in the train wereas my younger daughter thinks it is the highlight of the trip.My other option is 3nights in lucern, go for boatride the day we reach,next day Mt.pilates.Third day to Engelberg,visit Mt.titlis and back.Fourth day checkout with our luggage ,board goldenpass to Interlaken.Stay Intrlaken.Next day Jungfrau.Next day Montreux, chocolate factory.Please advise.
jayasree

Jayasree I think your last plan to spend one night two nghts in Interlaken(much as I like it) is not if I may so a good adea, you are very dependent on weather conditions for a start plus you have to factor in the time taken to pack, travel, check in and unpack and then find the weather is against you. If your daughter is desperate to see a chaocolate factory and you are the same about Interlaken, there is a way round, the open air mueseum at Ballenberg hear Brienz has a small chocolate factory, which willgive her as good an idea of the process, if not better than the factory at Broc. The Broc tour as I understand it is no more than a audio visual prgramme and a walk through a simulation, and of course the free samples, you get nowhere near the actual factory. If you want chocolate to take home then any supermarket will have a big choice and my favourite chocolate shop Merkur has branches everyewhere, that's where I stock up before heading for the airport. If you de decide to omit the chocolate train this would mean you could, I am assuming you fly into and out of Zurich, go back to Surich from Interlaken, either all the way by train or take the boat to Thun and then by train. Brunnen is quieter and a lot smaller than Lucerne, the website for Brunnen is www.brunnentourismus.ch they have an English version. I would suggest as well if you have not made hotel reservations yet you do so as soon as possible. Having said all this you know your family best and you might find your last plan the best.
By the way the Merkur shop in Zurich is on the Bahnhofstrasse near the station, further down the same street at Paradeplaz is the Sprungli shop and cafe.

Dear tipsygus,thanks again.We saved one day by quitting the chocolate train trip.What about the mountains?Do the three look the same?If i forego one mountain which is the one?No i havent made reservations yet.Can u suggest any good hotel in brunnen 3star will do.Is brennen well connected by train to all areas?How long will it take by train from zurich airport to reach there?

Jayasree, it must be your lucky night. Firstly Pilatus, is i think stark, pointy, and beautiful. I would do a round trip, take the boat or train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad and then the cog-wheel railway, it's the steepest in Europe, to the top, goinf down take the cable car and then the gondola, stop off at,I thonk its Frankmuttegg, there is a summer toboggan run and rope walk, your 12 year old will love, at the bottom of the gondolas a short walk will take you to the bus stop for the No1 bus back to the railway station. Titlis is simple, snow and ice, there is an ice palace at the top and the only revolving cable car on the journey both up and down. You could extend your trip with a walk round the lake Trubsee website here www.englebergtourismus.ch. Rigi is another mountain you can do as a round trip. Train from Lucerne to Arth-Goldau and the rack railway train to the top. Returning from the top either to Vitznau or change at,sorry can't remember the station, but there's a cable car that returns you to Weggis and then back to Lucerne from either Vitznau or Weggis by boat. If you go back to Vitznau the restaurant right by the landing stage has a lovely shady garden, ideal for an ice cream while waiting for the boat. Brunnen is ideal for rail connections, From Zurich Airport to Brunnen is about an hour, maybe a little longer, or again you could take the train to Lucerne and the boat from Lucerne to Brunnen (2hours from Lucerne). Hotels I really wouldn't want to reccommend one other than the four star Waldstatterhof right on the lake front, you pay more for rooms with a lake view. Again have a look on the Brunnen web site www.brunnentourismus.ch most websites have an English version.
If I can help any more just let me know.

I stayed in Brunnen last year, but I won't reccomment the hotel I stayed in because I will never stay there again, and I had stayed there at least twice before. I've just reread you post and if I had to miss one I think it would be Pilatus or because of the journey from the Lucerne area the Jungfrau.

I live near Brunnen and although I adore the views from the lake, I too think the Waldstätterhof is the best hotel and the others are, well, OK. You might want to consider Hergiswil if you don't want to stay in Lucerne. It's also on the lake and has excellent bus connections into Lucerne.

Tipsygus: I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you had. Where did you stay? At Schmid & Alfa?

Hi Schuler, no it was the Bellevue, I stayed there over sixteen years ago and had a wonderful time, then when back as a solo traveller and had another good stay and i think another then last year I went with two friends (a couple) and booked a single superior room for myself. I spent two nights in a single without ensuite facilities and when I complained on arrival I was told that was all there was and the other option was a single facing the road. I did get what I booked after two nights and we did rnjoy our stay in Brunnen. If i go again i will definitely stay in the Waldstatterhof, i enjoyed my two weeks there. I was told though by more than one other guest that the hotel is closing after this summer. I don't know if this true, but no way will I stay there again. My impression was that the owner had a dislike of women staying on their own. I could be mistaken but I did complain to the tour company i booked through and got some compensation.

I think they're closing the Bellevue to make condos. More profitable. Sorry to hear about your experience. It's a perfect position but they've had bad management for such a long time.

The road is always a problem. Schmid & Alpha would be fine but you've got the road in front of you. Waldstätterhof is wonderful and quiet but, alas, it's also a bit more expensive.

I know lots of people who go up to Morschach and rent vacation apartments. You don't have the view necessarily, but it's quiet and has facilities. There are also quite a few apartments to rent in Lauerz.

If you ever have a car, you might want to consider Steinen's B&B. I know the people personally and the rooms look ever so nice. Steinen is between Schwyz and Goldau. http://www.bnb.ch/index.php?p=page&id=381

Hi again
Yes that's what I was told, but I was also told that the local commune would not/had not given planning permission, again I don't know. Unfortunately I don't drive so I am reliant on the wonderful public transport system. I had thought if I stayed in Brunnen again I would try the Schmid and Alpha, and as I usually travel solo I don't really want to have an apartment. I had also wondered about the Weisses Rose, (the one that burnt down a few years back) but it looks a but boutiquey for my taste.
I'll be in Interlaken in three weeks time for two weeks,I'm going back to an area I love and a hotel I love as well.

Hai thanks again.We are planning to visit paris disney land and spend a couple of days there.So what is the best option to travel?which train to catch and from where?what will be the duration of journey?